After 1,418-winners, Derek O'Connor has called time on his career as a jockey. I refuse to refer to him as an amateur as he was as good a rider as any of the top professionals who he has ridden alongside.
I always wonder why the best amateurs stay amateur as they can suffer the same sort of bone-crunching falls as the professional, yet they do not get paid (?) to take the same risks to their health. O'Connor, as with Nina Carberry, could easily have made a living as a professional, even if they could never do the lighter weights, yet they both stayed in the amateur ranks, with both being the first name on all trainer's lists when it came to the amateur races at the Cheltenham Festival. I wonder who J.P. McManus will now turn to when he has a fancied horse in those same amateur races at Cheltenham and Punchestown?
I have no doubt Kopek Des Bordes will improve for his run yesterday at Naas, but then so will Irish Panther. The former jumped nicely and was tenderly handled by Paul Townend in the straight, whereas the latter won with his head in his chest. I will predict that Irish Panther will confirm the form if the two should meet again at Leopardstown over Christmas, though it will doubtless be a different story come the spring. Yet I only say that because the Closutton horses are primed to be at their fittest and best come the Cheltenham Festival, not because Kopek Des Bordes is obviously a better horse than Irish Panther. Because on all known chase form, I would venture to say that Irish Panther is the better of the two.
I cannot find the enthusiasm to cast a vote for the Cartier Racehorse of the Year. I could not have Bow Echo as racehorse of the year as he did all his racing early in the season and did not stand up to the rigours of racing. Darys was the top 12-furlong horse and Ombudsman was obviously the best at 10-furlongs. But there was no wow factor in any of them, not even, for me, Bow Echo in the 2,000-Guineas. In fact, the only wow factor that came my way during the flat season came from a 2-year-old filly of all horses, Sun Goddess, and she wowed me on at least three occasions. So if I can summon the enthusiasm to vote - voting ends today - she will get my vote.
No jockey is lucky to ride 1,000-winners, flat or jumps. 1,000-winners is evidence of great ability, dedication and having the personality of someone who is liked by a whole lot of people. Gavin Sheehan is latest to achieve the 1,000 mark and there looks many more to come. Incidentally, to refer back to Derek O'Connor. He, thus far, has ridden over 400-more winners than Sheehan, which puts his career total in rather a shiny light.
As it sometimes can be for jockeys, it is only in the latter years that Sheehan has become seen as a go-to jockey, a status that had begun before he won the King George on Hewick and before he became stable jockey to Jamie Snowden's stable. I doubt he will achieve 2,000-winners before he retires, but I bet a shilling that he gets to 1,500 and with several more Cheltenham Festivals wins to his name.
Now, here is a mad but worth debating idea. When the weather causes meeting after meeting to be abandoned, especially in mid-winter when the Cheltenham Festival is looming ever larger on the horizon, the B.H.A. sanctions all-weather fixtures confined to jumps horses. While the weather is not exactly having a devastating effect on the National Hunt program, if the dry weather continues much longer, it is perfectly possible half the field for the King George and Welsh National will be having their first runs of the season. Would it not be prudent, upon consultation with trainers, to stage such a fixture at Kempton, Lingfield or Southwell? Just one such meeting to allow trainers to get a good piece of work into their soft-ground preferring horses?